日期：2017年6月9日

A trio of beloved 1990s Nickelodeon series were front and center at the ATX Television Festival in Austin today, as cast members and creators from Hey Dude, The Adventures of Pete and Pete and Salute Your Shorts gathered to discuss the shows, which are now all re-airing on Nickelodeon’s “NickSplat” nighttime programming block.

The panel consisted of Michael C. Maronna (Big Pete Wrigley, The Adventures of Pete & Pete), Danny Tamberelli (Little Pete Wrigley, The Adventures of Pete & Pete), Chris Viscardi (Creator, The Adventures of Pete & Pete), Danny Cooksey (Bobby Budnick, Salute Your Shorts), Steve Slavkin (Creator, Salute Your Shorts), Kelly Brown (Bradley “Brad” Taylor, Hey Dude), David Lascher (Ted McGriff, Hey Dude) and Graham Yost (Writer, Hey Dude), all of whom said they still encounter plenty of fans of these series – whether it be on the street, or a doctor’s office or, in Cooksey’s place, the woman he’s now married to (“I totally scored!” he declared, of his wife’s affection for his character, Budnick).

All looked back with affection on their time on these Nick shows, where they worked within limited budgets and schedules (Hey Dude episodes were cranked out in three days each), while delivering entertainment kids loved. Yost – who has since gone on to guide series like Justified and Sneaky Pete – admitted it was hard for him to remember the circumstances of writing a particular episode though, given they made over 30 in a single year.

There were a lot of tales of pseudo-guerrilla filmmaking, with Slavkin recalling digging a giant hole in Griffith Park for an episode of Salute Your Shorts without asking permission, while the Pete and Pete gang recalled being asked to not return to one city after after another in New Jersey, where they filmed. “We just trashed the neighborhood” said Tamberelli, of the “Halloweenie” episode, with Viscardi adding, “It was fantastic for the show, but it was not good for the people who lived there.”

Asked why these shows struck such a chord with their young viewers, Yost brought up the “slightly transgressive vibe of Nickelodeon,” saying kids liked that the show’ didn’t feel as pandering as other children’s series and that in these series, “Kids got to have agency.” Yost added that even some of the titles alone, like Salute Your Shorts, felt edgy and more real, relative to other options.

The pin set given out at the From SNICK to Splat: Where Kids are King panel at ATX.

Said Viscardi, of Pete and Pete, “It was very original and weird and specific.” He said he was amused by the fact that no kid ever asked why the two Petes had the same name, while adults always would. For kids, Viscardi said, “The illogic was logical to them.”

Slavkin noted how young many of the Nick creators were at the time (he was only 26), saying the channel was giving a lot of opportunities and that “We packed the scripts with bizarre things that really pleased us,” while Nick remained “very sort of hands off in a lot of ways.”

He also agreed that these shows felt much more real for the time, with characters who might come from broken homes, and were sometimes unhappy. If an actor had a speech impediment it was kept in, if someone got braces, so did their character. “We wanted kids to look like kids,” Slavkin said, saying he would constantly ask, “Don’t put make up on. Don’t comb their hair!”

Lascher said he thought the shows stood out because, “They weren’t cynical. They weren’t jaded,” while Cooskey, evoking Salute Your Shorts’ memorable theme song, declared, “No matter what generation you’re in, when the theme song has ‘fart’ in it, it’s going to get its point across.”

Viscardi still works at Nickelodeon and has helped spearhead some of the revivals occurring for animated series like Hey Arnold (which has a new TV movie airing this fall). Asked if Hey Dude, The Adventures of Pete and Pete or Salute Your Shorts could ever come back in some capacity, he simply stated, “It’s possible!”

Each panelist was asked where their characters would be now, with Cooksey saying, “I think Budnick is probably a camp counselor still at Camp Anawanna. In the off seasons, I think he lives in a conversion van and works as a sound mixer in a dive bar. He wouldn’t have gone far.”

Regarding the camp itself, Slavkin said he didn’t think much changed. “Camp is always camp, that’s the beauty of it. Camp traditions live on forever.”

Maronna joked that Big Pete is now a “TV narrator. He probably got a job as an announcer. His brother owes him money.”

Said Tamberelli of Little Pete, “He probably has some more tattoos. Maybe he got into tattooing himself. He goes to alternative festivals with piercings and all that kind of stuff. He doesn’t really like it, that’s just where the money is. His passion still is music, but it doesn’t pay the bills. He does frequent that dive bar where Budnick works. It’s always his favorite place to play.”

Viscardi in the meantime said he felt that Pete and Pete’s dad, Don, probably still insists on an annual road trip to the Hoover Dam for the family. “They’re still jam-packed in that car,” he explained, adding, “On the way, they see Artie.”

Brown said she felt Brown, “Actually always own the Bar None now,” while Lascher said Ted is “Working for Brad. He’s probably entertaining people in some way. They were all pretty wholesome teenagers. He probably has a family and is a good dad.”

Yost grinned at the question, saying, “I’m not doing to take the dark twist. ‘One of them is a ‘serial killer.’ That’s expected of me!”

That being said, Yost couldn’t resist getting a bit adult in his modern Hey Dude storyline, saying, “People still like to go to dude ranches. Brad did buy it from Mr. Ernst. She gave Buddy a job and then they ended up having a weird romantic entanglement, which ended with him suing her for sexual harassment. That’s where the new season will pick up.”

Jokingly asked by moderator Leanne Aguilera if Justified was “the version of Hey Dude you always wanted to tell,” Yost replied, “Very much so. Mr. Ernst was our version of Raylan Givens!”

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The Acer Aspire VX 15 is of part the company’s new line of budget gaming laptops, which are basically de-tuned versions of its high-end Predator laptops. This particular model (See it on Amazon) is a 15-inch gaming laptop, and it’s packing Intel’s latest generation Kaby Lake processor along with a GTX 1050 Ti GPU, allowing its price to be quite modest at just $1,099 MSRP, but models start at $799 and there are a ton of configuration options available. This model (VX5-591G-76BV) is on the upper end of the VX spectrum, but is still just half the price of the Alienware 13 and the Razer Blade, so it’s truly a bargain laptop, in the gaming world at least. Let’s take a closer look and see what it has to offer.

Acer Aspire VX15

Here’s a look at the Acer Aspire VX 15 configuration sent to us for review:

The Aspire can be configured with your choice of Core i7-7700HQ or Core i5-7300HQ, both of which are Kaby Lake 45W quad-core processors though the 7700HQ has hyperthreading for eight logical cores. Graphics card choices are Nvidia 10-series cards, but are limited to the GTX 1050 or 1050 Ti since this is a budget line of notebooks, but both variants of this GPU sport 4GB of video memory, which is ample for 1080p gaming. Sadly, neither GPU is VR-ready, but those GPUs in general are made to run modern games at medium-to-high levels of detail, and allow for overall decent gaming, but not with maxed out settings. If you want more graphics muscle, you’ll need to look at the company’s Predator notebooks, which offer all the power you could ever ask for in a laptop. The Aspire configuration we tested ships with 16GB of DDR4 memory, but can be upgraded to 32GB.

The model we tested has a 512GB SATA SSD, which is a decent size for your OS and games, but is just borderline for what we think is acceptable for a gaming laptop. Sadly, there are no extra storage options such as having an SSD and a hard drive, like several of the systems we tested recently. Again though, this is a budget system, so sacrifices must be made to keep the price tag down. Though 512GB is probably enough for some gamers, it can fill up quickly since newer games like Ubisoft’s For Honor take up almost 40GB, and Grand Theft Auto 5 is pushing 70GB. Interestingly, Acer does offer a slightly cheaper configuration of this laptop that trades the SSD for a 1TB HDD, but sadly it also requires downgrading the GTX 1050 Ti to a GTX 1050, so it’s a bit of a step down in terms of performance, both on the storage and graphics front.

The good news is there are several high-speed ports to help out with storage, with two USB 3.0 and one a USB 3.1 Type-C port to facilitate fast data transfer from an external device. Backing up and restoring games to an external drive through Steam is a good workaround when local storage is running low, and the USB-C port allows for transfers up to 5Gb/s, which is the same speed as internal SATA, so it could be quite useful. However, you’d need an SSD connected to that port to achieve those speeds, so that would be an expensive add-on.

Styling

The Aspire looks great despite its all-plastic build. There’s no fancy lighting schemes, but the keyboard is backlit in a menacing deep red, and hard angles and red accents help it stand out from “normal” laptops. The vents on the back of the Aspire look like the intakes on a modern jet fighter or supercar, and translucent red strips on the lid capture ambient light and almost seem to glow. The plastic lid mimics the look of brushed-metal, and the plastic is hard enough that I didn’t worry about scuffing or scratching it. The WASD keys are also outlined in red, similar to its Predator notebooks, and a red outline highlights the border of the trackpad. The monitor bezel is a little on the chunky side, but still works well with the overall design.

Acer Aspire VX15

Keyboard

The Aspire VX 15 has a full-size, backlit keyboard with red LEDs. The keys are comfortably spaced and have a soft but satisfying feel. Key travel is excellent. The trackpad is centered on the spacebar and is quite large, so it takes up a lot of real estate on the left-most side of the keyboard. It lacks buttons, similar to the trackpad on a Mac. It has an acceptable clickiness to it, but doesn’t feel quite as refined as the buttonless trackpad of a Macbook Pro.

Performance

To test the Acer VX 15 we ran it through a gauntlet of games as well as PC Mark, and also ran a battery test too. We are comparing it to more expensive systems with more powerful GPUs, not to be unfair to Acer but to show you what you get for your money if you’re considering this laptop. It’s much less expensive than other laptops in the same space, so you obviously have to give up something, and in this instance it’s mostly GPU horsepower as the 1050 Ti can run games at 1920×1080 but not at maximum settings.

Benchmarking highlights the weakness of the 4GB GTX 1050 Ti video card. For example, Grand Theft Auto 5 couldn’t be turned up to its maximum settings, so I had to ratchet down draw distance a notch to make up for it. Hitman also struggled at the high settings, chugging along at just 16fps. In all of the games I tested, the 1050 Ti proved that it’s more of a “medium settings” GPU than a maximum detail GPU. If you really want more horsepower you need to get a laptop that has at least a GTX 1060 or better. However, by dialing down the detail a bit I was still able to get some satisfactory numbers from the VX 15, as it hit 117fps in Heaven with basic settings, and 95fps on low settings in Rise of the Tomb Raider. The numbers put up by the Aspire are perfectly acceptable, and its 10-series graphics card does well enough, especially compared to the 9-series mobile cards of the last generation.

There aren’t any surprises with battery life, unfortunately. Gaming laptops by their very nature require a lot of juice, and the Aspire is no exception. My battery stress test involved running a 4K video on a loop at 50% screen brightness, with lighting turned off, and it chewed through the battery in just 1 hour 31 minutes. That’s pretty much in-line with laptops like the ASUS ROG Strix GL702VM, a larger computer with a better graphics card. If you want to game, game near a wall outlet.

Purchasing Guide

The Acer Aspire VX 15 is available in a wide array of configurations on Amazon. At press time the model we looked at was only available as a cheaper factory refurbished model, but there is also a very similar unit with a slightly smaller SSD too.

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The Verdict

The Acer Aspire VX 15 is not the wallet-destroying graphical powerhouse of its relatives in the Predator line, but the price-to-power ratio is incredible. For just over $1,000 you get a latest-gen i7 processor, a 10-series GTX graphics card, and a 512 512GB SSD, which is pretty sweet, and there are less expensive options too. The VX 15 is basically powerful enough, and should be considered by anyone on a budget looking for a gaming laptop. Despite its low price it doesn’t look or feel cheap, which is hard to pull off.

I’ve watched all 13 episodes of Orange is the New Black’s fifth season — which is now on Netflix — and though this is a review for the entire season, it will remain largely spoiler-free. For those who’ve finished Season 5, I’ll have a separate piece running where I tackle the ending and other story-specific elements from the season.

Taking a different approach to things this year, either due to a desire to experiment with format or because of a need to stretch the series out after being renewed for three more seasons last year, Orange is the New Black’s new season takes us on a quasi-real time journey through a handful of days during a hostage standoff following the final frame of the Season 4 finale. It’s a condensed, concentrated run, nicely balancing its enormous ensemble (while also bringing some new faces into focus), that works well in some aspects while faltering in others.

Aside from the show’s use of character flashbacks, there’s really nothing present to help differentiate one episode from another. On Netflix, given the site’s binge model, this isn’t a new notion. You’ll often find that many Netflix Originals feel like one long movie instead of a serialized show with discernible episodes.

And, for better or worse, that’s by design. But Orange was sort of the outlier in this model. Orange did, more than other Netflix series, have themed episodes and more focused chapters, where certain characters were pushed to the front while others slinked into the background. In Season 5, that idea is all but gone and in its place is that whole “one long movie” feel that winds up working slightly against this particular 13.

Giving a little bit away right here at the top, Daya does pull that trigger. And following this, the inmates scramble into their separate corners and storylines as Litchfield gets sealed shut, the remaining guards are rounded up, and confusion sets in. And while part of the point of this season is to watch everything within the confines of this riot/stand-off sink and swell on the mass hysteria front, the idea that every episode contains every character (prisoners and guards) is an exhausting one. It’s a crowded, chaotic mess that, at times, makes for a grating binge.

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Laura Prepon, Taylor Schilling in Orange is the New Black: Season 5

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Laura Prepon, Taylor Schilling in Orange is the New Black: Season 5

Orange is the New Black: Season 5 Photos

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It’s not unusual for one character to have one set storyline for an entire season, but within this hostage crisis model you’re not going to get the breaks you usually do. If someone’s all whacked out on speed, for example, you’re going to watch them run around like a paranoid maniac for four or five episodes. Basically, the viewer’s locked inside Litchfield too, forced to be a party to everyone’s assorted adventures in activism as one huge event plays out over 13 episodes. It’s different, and that’s noble, but it also wears out its welcome before the halfway mark.

Now, on the upside, the immediacy and urgency of this event — which sort of snowballs into a full blown “list of demands” scenario where the inmates find themselves in a place to perhaps bring about real, lasting change to the brutal and inhumane privatized prison system — really does pay off Poussey’s death. That tragedy wasn’t just for shock and awe. It doesn’t get, say, one tribute episode for the sake of grieving and then shuffled to the side. It’s the lifeblood of Season 5, driving the story at its core even when most everything else in Litchfield has devolved into madness, pettiness, and comedic detours.

Taystee, Cindy, Alison, and Janae, using social media and astute negotiating skills, begin to realize that they might be able to bring about some notable forms of change (and maybe even some justice for Poussey) if they can make deals happen and stand their ground before things in Litchfield begin to disintegrate to a point of no return and they lose their upper hand. Meanwhile, several other inmates – like Daya, Gloria, and Maria – all have their own very personal challenges happening that may or may not work to undermine everything that’s in play.

If you’re looking for a more rounded theme for the season, Chapman brings up the Train Dilemma at one point (also known as the Trolley Problem). It’s an ethical thought experiment in which one has to decide whether or not to actively kill one person or passively let five people die. Is the best outcome what you’re after, or are you more concerned with the goodness of one’s direct actions? Many characters this year find themselves in rather cramped space, morally, and have to decide whether or not to think in terms of the group or think in terms of their own specific unbending situation.

The tone this season is even trickier than usual. Orange has always functioned as a dramedy, notably getting Emmy nominations during its first few seasons (before the rules were changed to redefine comedy entries) for Outstanding Comedy Series. I’d say most of this season plays as a comedy, which which is strange given the circumstances and some of the reverse abuse that happens to the guards (some of which is pretty dark), and you may find yourself being more uncomfortable than usual watching some of it. Naturally, things start to get more serious and stark in the back half of the season when the old “these things never end well” adage begins to take hold and everyone starts to realize just how serious the situation is.

Some of the comedy works – like Martiza and Flaca’s attempt to become YouTube makeover stars and the skinheads joining forces with Ouija and Pidge to create a coffee shop (allowing Ouija to unleash some amazing impersonations of other inmates) – while other offshoots flounder. Angie and Leanne, in particular, saunter around the entire prison like delusional dummies, generally making life miserable for everyone and counteracting any forward-looking progress with their smug idiocy. Like the random strike of a Whammy on Press Your Luck, these two generally add to the sluggishness of the season, often undermining everyone’s “best laid plans” as if a dungeon master rolled a 20-sided die and landed on a random meth-head occurrence.

Likewise, there’s a string of hacky horror movie moments in one chapter toward the end of the season that feel like they’re being played comedically even though what’s happening is a very gruesome concept. It doesn’t work and it only serves to undercut a lot of the humanity that Orange usually tries to shine a spotlight on.

Meanwhile, Red spends this run obsessed with getting revenge on Piscatella (a story that helps shape the darker second half of the season), Chapman and Vause use the time to revaluate their love for one another and decide if what they’re rekindling is more than just a fleeting moment, MCC exec Linda finds herself having to pretend to be an inmate in order to survive (thus, experiencing Litchfield dangers and indignities first hand), and both Lorna and Suzanne are forced to come face to face with their varying mental issues. Lorna, as it pertains to her delusional splits from reality, and Suzanne, because the riots have led to a severe lack of meds and structure.

Despite the cramped and hectic feel to Season 5, there are also still genuinely powerful moments that are able to rise up out of the calamity. No one gets to truly shine this year because of the all-inclusive nature of the story, but there are still some very powerful beats and arcs that help remind you that Orange can be a force when it sheds its snark and really digs into a character. Out of everyone, it’s Danielle Brooks’ Taystee who probably makes the biggest impact this year as someone fueled by both grief and intelligence and working to respectfully and passionately honor her fallen friend.

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The Verdict

Orange is the New Black’s fifth season corrals us in for a cramped and chaotic binge involving a tense standoff between the inmates and law enforcement. Because of the super serialized “real time” nature of the season, and the dire scenario involved, a lot of the comedy doesn’t land right this year, making the story even more of a frustrating watch at times. Also, if it weren’t for the flashbacks (which are a touch flimsy), you’d hardly know what separates one episode from another. There are, however, many moments throughout the run that strike a very emotional chord and remind us why this series is one of the best when it chooses to be.

On top of the optimizations are a few fixes to lingering issues from past Nvidia drivers. Among those resolved are the following:

DirectX 11 games: On some titles, in-game V-Sync does not work if Fast Sync is selected from the Nvidia Control Panel. Consequently, the game frame rate is not locked to the maximum refresh rate, resulting in possible tearing.